Second Iraqi Civil War
}} | }} | | }} | }} | }} | }} | }} | }} | | }} | date = October 2014 - ongoing | place = Iraq, Syria, and Turkey | coordinates = | map_type = | map_relief = | latitude = | longitude = | map_size = | map_marksize = | map_caption = | map_label = | territory = | result = | status = | combatants_header = | combatant1 = Iraq Turkey ---- Supported by: (military aid) (military aid) (military advisers and aid) Sierra (logistics and airstrikes) | combatant2 = | combatant3 = | commander1 = Sharif I of Iraq | commander2 = | units1 = Iraqi Army Iraqi Navy Iraqi Air Force Turkish People's Defence Force | units2 = | units3 = | strength1 = 600,000 | strength2 = 100,000 | strength3 = | casualties1 = 5,000+ soldiers killed or missing | casualties2 = 25,000+ jihadists killed | casualties3 = | notes = | campaignbox = }} The Second Iraqi Civil War is an ongoing conflict that began in 2014 with the escalation of the Iraqi insurgency, due to the arrival of the terrorist group (ISIS, also called simply "Islamic State"). The Kingdom of Iraq has been fighting against various rebels for several years, and has had a dispute with the Democratic Republic of Turkey over the region of . The region has been part of Kurdistan, though the government of Iraq refuses to recognize it as such and claims it as part of the Kingdom. The Islamic State organization is in control of large swaths of territory in northern Iraq as of 2015, though they have lost considerably large amounts of territory since their initial offensive into the country. The Second Battle of Ramadi resulted in the strategically important city of being taken back by the Iraqi forces. Background The was a protracted armed conflict that began with the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, which toppled the government of . However, the war continued for much of the next decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the occupying forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government. The United States officially withdrew its troops from Iraq in 2011, but the insurgency and various dimensions of the civil armed conflict have continued. The invasion began in 2003 when the United States, joined by the Commonwealth of Britannia and several coalition allies, launched a "shock and awe" surprise attack without declaring war. Iraqi forces were quickly overwhelmed as U.S. forces swept throughout the country. The invasion led to the collapse of the Ba'athist government; Saddam was captured and later executed by a military court three years later. However, the power vacuum following Saddam's fall, the mismanagement of the occupation and the sectarian policies of various militias led to a lengthy insurgency against U.S., coalition forces and Iraqi government forces as well as widespread sectarian violence between Shias and Sunnis. The United States responded with a troop surge in 2007; the heavy American security presence and deals made between the occupying forces and Sunni militias reduced the level of violence. The U.S. began withdrawing its troops in the winter of 2007-2008. The winding down of U.S. involvement in Iraq accelerated under President . The U.S. formally withdrew all combat troops from Iraq by 2011. The based its rationale for war principally on the assertion that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and that Saddam's government posed an immediate threat to the United States and its coalition allies. Some U.S. officials accused Saddam of harboring and supporting , while others cited the desire to end a repressive dictatorship and bring democracy to the people of Iraq. After the invasion, however, no substantial evidence was found to verify the initial claims about WMDs. The rationale and misrepresentation of pre-war intelligence faced heavy criticism within the U.S. and internationally. As a result of the war, Iraq held its multi-party elections in 2005, and they voted to restore the monarchy in Iraq, resulting in the rising to power (a descendent of the last king of Iraq, Sharif Ali bin al-Hussein). The new royal government enacted policies that to some extent were seen as having the effect of alienating the country's Sunni minority, which worsened sectarian tensions. In 2014, the (ISIL) launched a military offensive in Northern Iraq and later declared a worldwide Islamic caliphate, eliciting another military response from the United States and its allies, as well as the neighboring Democratic Republic of Turkey (which occupied parts of northern Iraq, including ). The Iraq War caused hundreds of thousands of civilian and military casualties (see estimates). The majority of the casualties occurred as a result of the insurgency and civil conflicts between 2004 and 2007. Course of the conflict 2014 2015 Reactions Domestic * Iraq - The government has taken military action against the ISIS invaders and has called on the international community to help in the fight. The King of Iraq, Sharif I, has also demanded that the Kurds leave Iraqi territory once the conflict is over. He called this conflict "our ". International * Akitsu - The government of Akitsu stated that the underlying causes of the rise of ISIS need to be dealt with in order to prevent any similar events from happening in the future. Akitsu has also provided humanitarian aid. * Sierra - The Sierran government strongly opposes ISIS and has provided logistical and advisory support to Iraqi and Turkish forces, as well as taken part in airstrikes against them. * Hellas - The government of Hellas announced that it would provide the government of Iraq with economic and logistics support to help deal with ISIS. Some circles are even saying the Basileus has approved of the use of Hellenic Special Forces to help deal with the insurgents. Category:Wars Category:Altverse